Signaling system



(No Model.)

W. E. D'EGROW.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Patented Feb. 19,1895.

NITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. DECROW, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,364, dated February 19, 1895.

Application filed December 31, 1892- Serial No. 456,851; (1% model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. DECROW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a signaling system in which there is a transmitter adapted to be adjustable so as to vary at will the number of breaks which the transmitter makes in the main circuit, while at the receiving station there is an apparatus constructed to cause a hell or other suitable audible signal to operate or not according to whether a break occurs during a certain interval of time after the first break. My invention also embraces a method of audibly distinguishing the circuit with which said bell is connected.

My invention consists in an improved transmitting and receiving apparatus by means of which a circuit may not only operate the register but may also operate the bell under conditions such as named above, audit also provides for audible distinguishment of a bell on one circuit from that on another circuit by the tone of thebells.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the transmitting and receiving apparatus. Fig. 2 illustrates similarly in diagram the means for distinguishing audibly the different signal circuits; and Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a modification.

In the drawings A is the sending or transmitting, and B the receiving station, it being understood that any number of similar transmitting stations may be included in series in the same circuit. I v I For convenience of illustration I have omitted from the transmitting apparatus the usual operating train and other mechanism, leaving only the break-wheel which is adapted to be set in operation by well-known means and interrupt the circuit a definite number of times. This break-wheel is marked 0. It has in its periphery two notches, 1 and 2, and at a succeeding point a number of notches corresponding to the number of the box containing the apparatus. One terminal of the circuit is shown as connected to the wheel, the other terminal being connected to a contact spring D normally resting against the periphery of the disk, and maintaining the line closed.

E is a similar contact spring normally out of connectionwith the disk, but adapted when the disk is turned, to strike a flange F during the time that notch 2 is passing under spring D. A switch G is provided, by means of which the spring -E may be connected or disconnected at will from the main circuit, at a point adjacent to the terminal which is connected to spring D.

It willbe borne in mind that, if the disk 0 makesone rotation while the switch G is open, it will cause two interruptions of the circuit by reason of the passage of spring D over the notches 1 and 2, and that subsequently there will be a series of breaks corresponding to the box number, being in this case so grouped as to represent the number 321. If, however, the switch G should be turned so as to complete the circuit to spring E, the transmitter in this case will cause an interruption at the notch 1, but while the notch 2 is passing under spring D the flange F is at the same time in contact with the spring E, and the circuit being thus preserved there will be no further interruption'until the notches corresponding to the box number come under spring D. By this means, while the transmitter is adapted to cause a definite number of breaks in the main circuit, one of these breaks will be suppressed by the closing of switch G.

At the receiving station B there is shown a relay magnet controlling a single local circuit. In this local circuit is the register H, bell I, and magnet J.

' K is a disk driven by a train in a wellknown manner. This disk is controlled by magnet J, which in turn is controlled by the relay-magnet in the main line. It will be apparent, however, that two movements of the armature of magnet J are necessary to release the train and allow disk K to rotate in the direction of the arrow. This is eftected 5 by means of two pins L and M, the latter of which normally rests against a stop on the end of the armature leverN of magnet J.

The first movement of lever N releases pin M and disk K rotates one stop until the pin L strikes the end of lever N. The train is thus stopped until a subsequent movement of arcarrying contact P drops into notch 3 the short-circuit is interrupted and the bell is in a condition to operate until the end of the notch is reached when the two short-circuiting contacts are pressed together and the bell rendered inoperative.

The operation of my device is as follows: The transmitter being started with the switch G open, there will be a break made in the main line by the notch 1, which will allow the retractor of the armature of the relay-magnet to close the local circuit, energizing the register-magnet and magnet J. The latter will release pin M by the first movement of its armature lever N, but the disk will only rotate a short distance, not enough to allow the contacts O and P to separate. The main circuit will be closed again by the notch 1 passing out from under spring D, and another movement will be given to armature lever N which will release the train and permit disk K to rotate, and allow the contacts 0 and P to open, thus breaking the short circuit around the bell. When the notch 2 of the transmitter comes under spring D the main line will be again interrupted, and this time the bell I at the receiving station will ring because it is no longer short-circuited. The ringing of the bell, however, will only last until the notch 3 passes out from under contact P and the short. circuit is again completed around the bell- If however, the transmitter is started with the switch Gr closed, the bell I at the central station will not ring at all, because there is no break in the main circuit caused by the notch 2, and the contacts 0 and P are again together before the notches corresponding to the box nember come under the spring D. It is likewise evident that the essence of my invention would not differ if the selecting impulse were to come near the end of a signal instead of near the beginning. In that case the ringing or not ringing of the bell would take place according to the total length of time occupied between the first and last breaks, together of course with the position given switch G, the disk at B being so set that the entire signal of one variety would be received before the short circuit had been removed at O P. So far as the transmitter is concerned the only change there requiredis to have the cam F placed opposite a slot in the break-wheel following the series of breaks indicating the box number, as is shown in Fig. 3 where slot a is the last to pass under the contact spring D. The disk K now being properly set so that contacts 0 P are open when slot on is passing under the spring D the bell will ring or not according to whether switch G is so set that no break actually occurs.

The other part of my invention relates to audible distinguishment of the circuit on which a signal of a certain character is coming, by means of the difference in tone. It is customary in signaling telegraphs to use several circuits each embracing the usual central oifice apparatus, the signals being generally recorded for convenience on the wellknown compound register. Hitherto when thus using several circuits in connection with apparatus designed to ring a bell for some signals and not for others, all the circuits have operated at the central office upon a bell common to all. I wish to improve upon this method by providing at the central office a combination of different toned bells whereby the attendant may know by the audible signal not only that a want call is coming but the circuit on which it is coming as well. The arrangement is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, where two circuits equipped generally as shown in Fig. 1,are represented as coming in at a common central office B, where H 11 represent the registering apparatus; Q Q, the mechanism for shunting the bell loops, and a: X, m in one circuit and X in the other circuit, represent bells difiering in tone from one another. In fact, the arrangement is the same as that described except that distinctive bells are provided for the several circuits entering the station.

I am aware that it has been proposed to arrange a signaling apparatus in which a bell at the receiving station is made to ring or not to ring according to diiferences in the character of the changes in the circuit, the determination being made by a variation in the strength of the current or by a change in its direction or in some cases bya change in the duration of the breaks. In my invention, however, there is no diiferencewhatever in the character of the changes. If a change, whatever its character, occurs within a certain interval, the bell operates, otherwise it does not.

The principle upon which my invention is based is shown in my Patent No. 413,436, dated October 22, 1889, the present invention being designed as an improvement upon the device therein shown.

It is evident that the receiving apparatus may be actuated directly from the main line instead of through the intervention of a relay.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a signaling system having a signal metallic main line circuit adapted to operate in response to the variance of intervals between current changes, the combination with one or more transmitters at distant points, of a receiving station provided with a. local circuit, a bell in said local circuit normally irresponsive to current changes in the main line, contacts normally short-circuiting said bell, and a train controlled by a magnet in said local circuits, for causing the bell to respond ornot as desired.

2. The combinationin a signaling system, of a local circuit including a bell, a short-circuiting loop shunting the bell at the receiving station, a train controlling said loop and a magnet for releasing the said train by two movements of its armature, the said releasing magnet being included in the said local circuit which may or may not be closed through the bell when a signal is received.

3. In a signaling system adapted to operate in response to the variance of intervals between current changes, the combination with the transmitter, of a receiver consisting of a train controlling a normally short-circuited bell, and a magnet for releasing the said train by two movements of its armature, the said releasing magnet being included in a circuit which may or may not be closed through the bell when a signal is received.

4:. In a signaling system having transmitting apparatus, the combination with receiving apparatus, of a local circuit,-a bell therein, a short-circuiting shunt for the bell, invariably operated circuit breaking mechanism for opening said shunt at each signal, a magnet in the local circuit controlling said mechanism and in turn controlled by a relay magnet in the main line, and means at the transmitting apparatus for optionally opening through'the agency of the relay magnet the said local circuit at a point outside of the said shunt.

5. In a signaling system having transmitting apparatus, the combination with receiving apparatus of a local circuit, a bell therein, a short circuiting shunt for the bell, an invariably operated train for opening the shunt at each signal controlled by a magnet in the local circuit which is in turn controlled bya relay magnet in the main line,and means at the transmitter for optionally closing the bell circuit when said shunt is opened.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of December, 1892.

WILLIAM E. DECRO W.

Witnesses:

EDWIN ROGERS, HARRY GAssET'r. 

